Sad ... but true :>(

 

Trick I learned with that little bi of wisdom is do not go quietly into the night. Older we may get but diminished only if one chooses that path. Besides I learned long ago you stay with something long enough it all comes full circle.

 

I am aware of that bike. I have looked at the complete line of Harleys.

It is close, but the seat height is a lot lower 26" vs 29.5" and it has more rake and trail so it is not going to handle as well. It is a cruiser. I am thinking something a bit sportier and more nimble. That is why I suggested the roadster as the base.

 

Yeah, just like the jerks with the 'shovelheads' when the EVO's came out...

 

I see the Street Rod as an urban bike. There's nothing about it that say it'll do multi-thousand mile touring in real comfort.

Sure throwing money at the bike would help. It's just not a touring rig. Something like the BMW R1200GSw is almost exactly what I'm looking for. Stock. Good in almost all situations. Both urban and touring. Plus it weighs at just about 600 lbs.

 

I'm a chopper guy at heart so I like the simplicity and clean lines of the older bikes. I can appreciate the engineering that goes into the newer bikes, but I can't look past the increased cost, weight, rat's nest of wiring, and clutter on the newer bikes. Reflectors, lawyer stickers, turn signals and all that bullshit.

 

Yes, me too. The BMW R1200GS appeals to me as well. It seems to me that the Roadster would be a good start. Give it a more comfortable seat, more upright seating position, windscreen and luggage and you would be pretty close. Not as good off road as the BMW probably, but still a lighter, sport touring, commuter sort of bike with some character and style.

The BMW R1200GS is a great bike, but it is ugly with a capital U.

 

We all have our reasons for buying HD. For me, I like them for a number of reasons. But I know there are competitive machines. In the Harley or Indian thread I posted what I dislike about my Indian, I just don't like the Hondas I've had (a 1100 & a 750 Shadow), friends have spent big numbers just keeping their Gold wings going once out of warranty. I have always believed also that one, tool, bike, car doesn't do everything well. You want to go fast, buy a fast bike (I had a Triumph Rocket to fill that need), you want to really tour, you need a fixed fairing bike, you want a badass looking cruiser, dress up any Dyna or Softail. A close bud of mine has a 2011 RG & a 15ish Yamaha something or other, wants to sell the Yammy, when I asked if he'd thought of trading both in on a RG, he responded he wouldn't buy another Harley, he'd buy a BMW 1600. I told him he wouldn't like it, nothing he could play with to try to make it faster, better, louder. To each his own.

 

Either my mind/body soul tells me, "Enough is enough" or not wanting to finance over $30k bike is when I dare to say no more Harleys.


Thorey

 

My brother and I had this conversation about boats. The bay boat is the do everything boat. I live in Florida and had an 18 foot bay boat. We took it off shore on light sea days, went flats fishing, skied behind it and went on family cruises. It was not ideal for any of this, but did it all okay.

My brother lives in Michigan and likes to go Salmon fishing in the great lakes. He has a 27 foot sportcraft. It does what he wants it to do and not much else. Do people Salmon fish on Lake Michigan in bay boats like mine. Sure, just not as comfortably as in my brother's boat.

I have four motorcycles in my garage at the moment. I think I would like to get down to one. If I do, I think I would want something more versatile than anything HD currently makes. But I would like something with some style and character.